These fiber optic cables run beneath the oceans, carrying over 95% of global internet traffic. Despite how important they are, many of us don’t even realize they exist.
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| Source credit - thecable.ng |
Let's dive into their story—how they're built, the challenges they face, and why they’re so crucial for keeping us connected in our digital world.
How Are Underwater Cables Laid?
Building these underwater cables is an amazing feat of engineering. It starts with careful planning and mapping the seabed. Advanced technology, like sonar systems, is used to detect potential risks like underwater mountains, volcanoes, or shipwrecks.
These dangers could damage the cables, so finding the safest route is crucial. Once the route is planned, specialized cable-laying ships come in to do the heavy work.
These ships carry huge rolls of fiber optic cables that weigh tons and can stretch for thousands of miles. The ships unroll the cables carefully along the designated path, making sure to avoid any obstacles.
In shallow waters, the cables are buried beneath the seabed to protect them from being damaged by things like anchors, fishing nets, or even ships. In deeper waters, the cables just rest directly on the ocean floor, where the risks are lower.
To ensure the cables function properly over such long distances, repeaters are installed every 50-100 kilometers along the route. These repeaters amplify the signals, helping the data travel without losing strength or quality.
This whole process can take several months or even years, depending on the cable’s length, route, and the difficulty of the environment. Each cable represents a huge global effort to keep communication flowing smoothly between continents.
The Challenges Underwater Cables Face
Although underwater cables are built to last, they are constantly facing challenges. On average, about 100 to 150 breaks happen every year. These breaks usually happen because of human activities like fishing, where heavy nets or anchors get caught on the cables.
Natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and underwater landslides are also major threats, as they can disrupt the cables and make them unusable for a while.
One major incident was the 2011 Japan earthquake, which caused significant damage to several underwater cables, affecting internet and communication services worldwide. This incident showed how interconnected we are and how much we rely on these cables to keep things running smoothly.
In an even stranger twist, sharks have been known to bite underwater cables! While this is rare, some scientists believe that the electrical signals emitted by the cables might attract sharks. It may sound like something out of a science fiction story, but it highlights just how unpredictable the underwater environment can be.
Another challenge is the cost of repairing these cables. Fixing a broken cable is not a quick or cheap process. Ships need to be sent to the location of the break, and sometimes the cables have to be hauled up from the deep ocean. This process can take weeks, and during that time, many internet services might experience delays or interruptions.
Maintaining these cables is a constant challenge due to both human actions and unpredictable natural events, and it’s one of the reasons why these cables are often referred to as the unsung heroes of the internet.
Building these underwater cables is an amazing feat of engineering. It starts with careful planning and mapping the seabed. Advanced technology, like sonar systems, is used to detect potential risks like underwater mountains, volcanoes, or shipwrecks.
These dangers could damage the cables, so finding the safest route is crucial. Once the route is planned, specialized cable-laying ships come in to do the heavy work.
These ships carry huge rolls of fiber optic cables that weigh tons and can stretch for thousands of miles. The ships unroll the cables carefully along the designated path, making sure to avoid any obstacles.
In shallow waters, the cables are buried beneath the seabed to protect them from being damaged by things like anchors, fishing nets, or even ships. In deeper waters, the cables just rest directly on the ocean floor, where the risks are lower.
To ensure the cables function properly over such long distances, repeaters are installed every 50-100 kilometers along the route. These repeaters amplify the signals, helping the data travel without losing strength or quality.
This whole process can take several months or even years, depending on the cable’s length, route, and the difficulty of the environment. Each cable represents a huge global effort to keep communication flowing smoothly between continents.
The Challenges Underwater Cables Face
Although underwater cables are built to last, they are constantly facing challenges. On average, about 100 to 150 breaks happen every year. These breaks usually happen because of human activities like fishing, where heavy nets or anchors get caught on the cables.
Natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and underwater landslides are also major threats, as they can disrupt the cables and make them unusable for a while.
One major incident was the 2011 Japan earthquake, which caused significant damage to several underwater cables, affecting internet and communication services worldwide. This incident showed how interconnected we are and how much we rely on these cables to keep things running smoothly.
In an even stranger twist, sharks have been known to bite underwater cables! While this is rare, some scientists believe that the electrical signals emitted by the cables might attract sharks. It may sound like something out of a science fiction story, but it highlights just how unpredictable the underwater environment can be.
Another challenge is the cost of repairing these cables. Fixing a broken cable is not a quick or cheap process. Ships need to be sent to the location of the break, and sometimes the cables have to be hauled up from the deep ocean. This process can take weeks, and during that time, many internet services might experience delays or interruptions.
Maintaining these cables is a constant challenge due to both human actions and unpredictable natural events, and it’s one of the reasons why these cables are often referred to as the unsung heroes of the internet.
Why Are Underwater Cables So Important?
Underwater cables are absolutely essential for keeping the internet running smoothly. They carry the majority of the data we use every day, whether it's for streaming videos, making international calls, or transferring sensitive business information.
These cables have much higher capacity and are much faster than satellite networks, which is why they’re still the preferred choice for global communication.
Even though satellite networks like Starlink are improving, they still can’t match the speed, capacity, or reliability of undersea cables.
Satellites are helpful for providing internet to remote areas or places where it's difficult to lay cables, but they just can’t handle the massive amounts of data that are transferred every day across the globe.
For most of the world’s communication needs, underwater cables are the only solution that can keep up with the demand.
Underwater cables are absolutely essential for keeping the internet running smoothly. They carry the majority of the data we use every day, whether it's for streaming videos, making international calls, or transferring sensitive business information.
These cables have much higher capacity and are much faster than satellite networks, which is why they’re still the preferred choice for global communication.
Even though satellite networks like Starlink are improving, they still can’t match the speed, capacity, or reliability of undersea cables.
Satellites are helpful for providing internet to remote areas or places where it's difficult to lay cables, but they just can’t handle the massive amounts of data that are transferred every day across the globe.
For most of the world’s communication needs, underwater cables are the only solution that can keep up with the demand.
What Does the Future Hold for Underwater Cables?
As the demand for data continues to grow—driven by trends like AI, cloud computing, social media, and streaming services—the role of underwater cables is more important than ever.
Engineers are constantly working to make these cables stronger, faster, and more efficient. Newer cables are being designed to handle higher data capacities, ensuring that they can keep up with the internet’s rapid growth.
In addition to upgrading the cables themselves, there is also a global effort to improve the protection of these cables. International collaboration is underway to make sure that cables are better protected from natural disasters, like earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as from human threats.
Improved monitoring technology is being developed to detect damage before it becomes a major issue.
As the demand for data continues to grow—driven by trends like AI, cloud computing, social media, and streaming services—the role of underwater cables is more important than ever.
Engineers are constantly working to make these cables stronger, faster, and more efficient. Newer cables are being designed to handle higher data capacities, ensuring that they can keep up with the internet’s rapid growth.
In addition to upgrading the cables themselves, there is also a global effort to improve the protection of these cables. International collaboration is underway to make sure that cables are better protected from natural disasters, like earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as from human threats.
Improved monitoring technology is being developed to detect damage before it becomes a major issue.
Final Thoughts
Underwater cables may not be something we think about often, but they are truly the unsung heroes of the internet. And that’s a peek into the hidden backbone of the internet.
They work quietly beneath the ocean, making it possible for us to stay connected to the rest of the world. Whether you're sending an email, streaming a video, or making a video call to someone on the other side of the globe, these cables are the backbone of
Written by Keerthana Lingamallu
Disclaimer - This article has been authored exclusively by the writer and is being presented on Eat My News, which serves as a platform for the community to voice their perspectives. As an entity, Eat My News cannot be held liable for the content or its accuracy. The views expressed in this article solely pertain to the author or writer. For further queries about the article or its content, you can contact on this email address - keerthanalingamallu@gmail.com.
Underwater cables may not be something we think about often, but they are truly the unsung heroes of the internet. And that’s a peek into the hidden backbone of the internet.
They work quietly beneath the ocean, making it possible for us to stay connected to the rest of the world. Whether you're sending an email, streaming a video, or making a video call to someone on the other side of the globe, these cables are the backbone of
Written by Keerthana Lingamallu
Disclaimer - This article has been authored exclusively by the writer and is being presented on Eat My News, which serves as a platform for the community to voice their perspectives. As an entity, Eat My News cannot be held liable for the content or its accuracy. The views expressed in this article solely pertain to the author or writer. For further queries about the article or its content, you can contact on this email address - keerthanalingamallu@gmail.com.
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